t what is the news you were so anxious to tell us?" inquired Henry.

"That Gascoyne, the pirate captain, has been seen on the island by some
of the women, and there's a regular hunt organising. Will you go with
us?"

"I have more important work to do, Hugh," replied Henry, "besides, I
want you to go with me on a hunt which I'll tell you about if you'll
come with me to the creek."

"By all means, come along."

Henry and the cooper at once left the cottage. The latter was let into
the secret, and prevailed on to form one of the crew of the _Wasp_, as
the little cutter was named. In the course of the afternoon everything
was in readiness. Gascoyne waited till the dusk of the evening, and
then embarked along with Ole Thorwald; that stout individual having
insisted on being one of the party, despite the remonstrances of Mr
Mason, who did not like to leave the settlement, even for a brief
period, so completely deprived of all its leading men. But Ole
entertained a suspicion that Gascoyne intended to give them the slip;
and having privately made up his mind to prevent this he was not to be
denied.

The men who formed the crew--twelve in number--were selected from among
those natives and settlers who were known never to have seen the pirate
captain. They were chosen with a view to their fighting qualities, for
Gascoyne and Henry were sufficient for the management of the little
craft. There were no large guns on board, but all the men were well
armed with cutlasses, muskets, and pistols.

Thus equipped, the _Wasp_ stood out to sea with a light breeze, just as
the moon rose on the coral reef and cast a shower of sparkling silver
across the bay.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

A TERRIBLE DOOM FOR AN INNOCENT MAN.

"So, you're to be hanged for a pirate, Jo Bumpus, ye are--that's
pleasant to think of anyhow."

Such was the remark which our stout seaman addressed to himself when he
awoke on the second morning after the departure of the _Wasp_. If the
thought was really as pleasant as he asserted it to be, his visage must
have been a bad index to the state of his mind; for at that particular
moment Jo looked uncommonly miserable.

The wonted good-humoured expression of his countenance had given place
to a gaze of stereotyped surprise and solemnity. Indeed Bumpus seemed
to have parted with much of his reason and all of his philosophy, for he
could say nothing else during at least half-an-hour after awaking except
the